Earlier this year the global travel tech company eviivo best known for their property management system the eviivo Suite, and their mobile app, eviivo Mobile, launched the eviivo collective. Designed to recognise unique, notable and luxury independent properties worldwide, it is part of eviivo’s 10-year anniversary milestone of eviivo Suite, the original ‘all-in-one’ cloud booking system.
The eviivo Collective celebrates, supports and raises awareness for independently owned properties, as well as boutique hoteliers, hosts and owners who work in the independent accommodation sector. Something that is badly needed in the aftermath of the havoc caused by the pandemic, which coincidently the World Health Organisation have just announced that COVID is no longer a global health emergency.
To celebrate the launch of the eviivo collective, eviivo gave select journalists a 2 day stay plus flights to one of venues in the eviivo collective. I was one of the journalists offered this and there was no way I was not going to avail of this. Having not been anywhere because of the pandemic this was going to be a chance to get back out into the real world.
As well as being a freelance tech journalist and podcaster, I am also a foodie and I have had a food blog since 2020 that reviews restaurants. My blog the Fussy Eater was launched in January 2020 but three months later it was on a short hiatus before pivoting to review restaurants that became takeaways.
I knew that this break would give me a chance to give my food blog something new, which was restaurant reviews from another country. This would be my blogs second revamp this year after I began to bring videos into my blog last January. I was offered a choice of various properties in various countries that I could stay in. Having looked at them I decided to go to England as it was not that far to travel to, which would give me more time to enjoy my stay.
After thinking about where I would go in England I decided that London would be a nice place to visit as it has lots of restaurants that I could review. The last place I had visited outside of Ireland was London and I looked forward to going back. After looking at the various properties available in London I chose the Rokxy Townhouse based in Kingscross, which has had a makeover and is now known as the new Covent Garden.
The Rokxy Townhouse is only 4 minutes walk from Kingscross tube station, which is only a 5 minute tube ride from Covent Garden making it the perfect place to stay in London. The Rokxy Townhouse is more than just a hotel room as each room is classed as a suite and each suite offers something different, my room was the Hygge suite. Hygge is the Danish concept that encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life.
The Hygge suite comes with 2 rooms, a bedroom and another room called The Snug. The bedroom had a Kitchenette equipped with a DeLonghi microwave, a SMEG fridge and a Nespresso Coffee Machine. There was also an ensuite bathroom with a shower. The Snug had hangers for your clothes, a couch and ensuite bathroom with a shower. There was also a record player that allowed you to listen to music via wired or Bluetooth headphones.
Each room also came equipped with a TV and free Wi-Fi.
The SMEG fridge comes fully stocked and is complementary, and on the day of my arrival in London, I received a phone call asking what I would like in my fridge. Any beverages in the fridge would not be alcoholic and considering that it was complimentary that should not be a big deal. There is also two more rooms in the townhouse that anyone can use. The first room was a games room with two old school arcade machines that offered games such as Pac Man and Streetfighter. The second room allowed you to use a Pelathon Bike.
The Rokxy Townhouse is in a great location and the new Pancreas Square area of Kingcross is right by St Pancreas station where the Eurostar train is based, and it also boasts lots of great restaurants and the UK headquarters of Google. Over my 3 days in London I managed to eat in three different restaurants that would be reviewed on my blog. Whilst in London it would be rude not to take in a show, so I went to see Aaron Sorkins adaption of To Kill a Mockingbird with the excellent Matthew Modine from Full Metal Jacket and Stranger things playing Atticus Finch.
Utilising eviivo’s software technology, the only way to gain access to the townhouse and your suite was by entering the code emailed or texted to you into the keypads at the front door and your suite door.
This was a godsend as you did not have to worry about carrying around Hotel Key Cards. On the last day of my trip I sat down and spoke with the hotel owner Pratik and the hotel manager Yannis.
I mentioned to Pratik, the owner that his hotel is in a great location and facilities are amazing, and then asked him “How did you come about deciding what was going to be in it?”.
Pratik told me “The first thing I wanted to do like was get over. Covid So I had a lot of time. To think about it, and I had no fomo about losing bookings, you know, I knew I could take my time and just get it right.
“It was an old tired hotel, which I first did. me and my mum did about 15 years ago. So it needed some love. I just didn’t want it to be another boring hotel. That was my main remit to myself. I was just bored of here’s a room. Here’s a door. Here’s a. Bed and something. I need something more than. That I wanted the whole experience.”
I told Pratik that I felt it was more than just a bed and that it was an experience. He agreed mentioning that we as a team nailed that and the vision was something more than a hotel it was an experience and all the little extras that we do.
I mentioned that I liked the kitchenette in the main bedroom which had a microwave and a nice SMEG fridge. Pratik added “Yeah, thank you, I’ve always loved SMEFG fridges. They look so stylish and they did a hotel range. We jumped on it and said yeah, let’s go get some SMEG fridges.”
I then told Pratik “I just thought that a made nice touch and in fact part of Evo collection, that’s to me is very impressed that collective is very interesting in that you join with them because what they’re showing you and showcasing is unique boutique hotels like yourselves all over the world.”
Pratik then told me “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Independent hotels is what it’s all about. It’s what travellers like. When I travel myself, I don’t get the service in the high end places. They are kind of, here’s your room. Pay top dollar. See you later. Unless you’re one of their esteemed guests, you know, I suppose you get the treatment then, but not if you’re just another number. Boutique hotels, you know, especially with 10 to 20 bedrooms, 20 to 30 bedrooms, can really deliver that personal service.”
When it came to breakfast, The Rokxy Townhouse does not offer any and I mentioned that I was impressed with the cookies, the mini milk cartons and the morning newspaper left outside my room each morning.
Pratik explained “That was one thing that we did because we don’t offer breakfast and we will never will because there’s so many people on our doorstep, that can do that better than us. So how do we just enhance the guest experience? And I g0t the idea from Virgin upper class. So it’s just a little bit different from premium and up from economy you get those extra touches, the extra service.“
When I mentioned how great the location is and the park across the road from the hotel Yannis said “We are blessed. We are blessed with that.”
Before I left I thank Pratik, Yannis and all the team for my wonderful stay in a hotel with that little bit extra. Yannis added “It’s nice to go to a hotel. To get inside the room and you know, not just see what you can see. I love when I go to a hotel and then I look behind there. Ohh, there’s this when I open this door.”
When you go away for a break, it’s nice to go somewhere a little different that gives you an experience and makes you feel more than just a guest. The Rokxy Townhouse showcases what is so good about the eviivo collective and how it offers you that experience and more. For more information on the eviivo collective please click here.
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